The present invention is related to the field of chemical reactors, and more particularly, automated reactors for use in process research and development as may be conducted in a laboratory.
Laboratory automation developed over the past decade has allowed chemists to become much more efficient in conducting experiments. Laboratory automation has been particularly useful for high thru-put screening, where a large number of different compounds are tested using particular chemicals. These tests are typically conducted in very small reaction vessels, such as multiple well microplates (e.g., 96 well microplates), where a very small amount of reagent is added to a small amount of experimental solution in each microplate well. From the large number of small scale experiments, a few promising leads may be identified. These leads will require additional testing on a larger scale, before truly promising chemical combinations can be identified. Larger scale testing typically involves larger amounts of experimental solution combined with larger amounts of reagents. Of course, these tests are conducted in larger reaction vessels, such as vessels of 50 ml or more.
A few systems exist that allow chemists to automate experiments in larger reaction vessels. Examples of such systems include the CLARK® automatic reactor system sold by Argonaut Technologies, Inc. of Foster City, Calif. Such systems typically provide a single reactor vessel and a number of laboratory instruments capable of automatically interacting with the reactor vessel. When using these systems, a chemist first prepares a reactor and attaches all necessary components for completion of the experiment (e.g., reagent feed lines, temperature sensors, stirrers, etc.). After the reactor is prepared, the chemist uses a software program to provide instructions for conducting the experiment using the laboratory instruments. After receiving the chemist's instructions, the software controls the laboratory instruments to automatically conduct the experiment (e.g., the system automatically feeds reagents at the desired times, monitors reaction variables, stirs the experimental solution, etc.). This automation allows the experiment to be conducted without the chemist being physically present, thus freeing the chemist to complete other valuable tasks.
Although laboratory automation continues to assist with high thru-put screening, many areas for improvement remain. For example, many automated laboratory systems for larger scale reactions are limited to use in a single experiment. Chemists would like to simultaneously conduct several different larger scale experiments using a single software program. Furthermore, those automated laboratory systems that allow chemists to conduct more than one experiment are limited to conducting very similar experiments with similar functions, environmental conditions, and steps in any given batch of experiments. Chemists would like to have the flexibility to simultaneously conduct very different experiments using a single automated laboratory system. Of course, many other areas for improvement remain. The modular reactor system of the present invention presents a number of improvements over such prior art systems.